Going to China. What should I do when I'm not working?

January 13, 2016 10:11 AM

I will be in China for two weeks, from April 18th to May 5th, for work. Help me plan what to do/see/explore when I'm on my own time.

This is my schedule:

April 18th - 21st - Arrive, Shanghai
21st - 23rd - Yi Wu
23rd - 26th - Guangzhou
26th - 28th - Shenzhen
28th - May 5th - Hong Kong, Depart

I'll be spending a lot of time at various large markets/sample fairs buying for the company I work for. What should I do on my off time? I have a couple friends I'm meeting up with in Shanghai but other then that I've got a lot of empty hours and I'd like some help finding cool things to do.

I don't think I'll want to shop that much because that's all I'm doing for work so unless you know somewhere super special/unique/awesome for whatever reason, I'm okay on that front. I'm looking for more specific examples on places to eat and things to see or do. I love yoga, rock climbing, trying new foods, art/music, and hiking.

posted by Marinara to Travel & Transportation around China (5 answers total)

Hong Kong has some really cool Geoparks and hiking trails. I went to two parks in Jul/Aug and almost collapsed from the heat but May shouldn't be as bad.
posted by lucia_engel at 10:35 AM on January 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

You don't mention an abiding love for trains, but since you're in Shanghai, you may find a ride on the 441 km/h Maglev train an interesting transportation experience.
posted by fairmettle at 12:41 PM on January 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

Our time in Guangzhou was constrained by the visa-getting that had us there, but we enjoyed the city parks (with large lakes) near our hotel. And generally wandering the streets nearby, poking in shops and cafes. Found some pretty good food by accident, that way.
posted by Quasirandom at 1:06 PM on January 13, 2016

Insiders Experience do really cool motorcycle sidecar tours in Shanghai. I loved it!

In Shenzhen, I really enjoyed hiking Wutong mountain. If you're out by Wutong mountain, then Dafen village is kind of crazy, and worth a trip.

The Hong Kong hiking meetup is really awesome. They run many hikes of all levels, and the groups are always a mix of locals, expats and tourists. Hiking in Hong Kong is the best thing about Hong Kong, imo. I put some food recommendations in this askme.

For something unusual in Hong Kong, you can also explore the islands-- you can take a ferry from Aberdeen to Po Toi or go from the Central Ferry pier to Lamma Island.
posted by frumiousb at 4:20 PM on January 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

get soup dumplings in Shanghai. specifically, go here.
posted by ghostbikes at 11:15 AM on January 14, 2016